NEW YORK – The association between Ben Simmons and the Brooklyn Nets appears to be coming to an end.
The former No. 1 overall pick from the 2016 NBA Draft was absent during Friday night’s game against the Miami Heat as the organization looks to arrange a buyout of his contract.
Head coach Jordi Fernandez confirmed that Simmons will continue to be away from the team but refrained from elaborating on the anticipated separation.
He did commend Simmons for his efforts in recovering from multiple injuries that led to a challenging tenure in Brooklyn. “It’s impressive to see him overcome not playing for an entire season and then facing further limitations in the next. His determination to fight back, being able to log around 20 to 25 minutes on the court, really stands out,” said Fernandez, who is in his first season coaching the Nets.
“This is especially notable given that he underwent surgery and is now back in action.”
However, the impact Simmons was expected to bring was significantly less than what the Nets envisioned when they traded for the three-time All-Star in exchange for James Harden at the 2022 trade deadline.
Following the deal, Simmons did not compete in any games for the remainder of that season after dealing with back issues while trying to regain his form after missing the initial half of the season when he was with the Philadelphia 76ers.
The ongoing setbacks, primarily stemming from lower back nerve damage, severely restricted his ability to play. Simmons managed to participate in only half of the 2022-23 season and played just 15 games last year.
This season, he has appeared in 33 out of the Nets’ 51 games, starting in 24 of them, while averaging 6.2 points and 6.9 assists per game.
Currently earning $40 million for this season, Simmons is set to enter free agency afterward. Reports indicate that he is scheduled to meet with both the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Los Angeles Clippers to discuss potential signing agreements for the remainder of the current season.
